FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2022
Contact: William Lutz | lutz@iwpr.org | (202) 684-7534
“A Tremendous Opportunity to Increase the Gender and Racial Diversity of the Court,” says C. Nicole Mason, President and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Washington, D.C. — The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) CEO and President C. Nicole Mason today highlighted the opportunity the Biden administration has to increase gender and racial diversity on the Supreme Court, following the pending resignation of Justice Breyer.
“The announcement today of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement creates a tremendous opportunity to increase gender and racial representation on our nation’s highest court. President Biden’s pledge to nominate a Black woman to the Court takes on even more meaning as women’s reproductive and voter rights cases loom on the docket. I hope that the Senate will rise above partisan politics and work thoroughly but swiftly to confirm a replacement at this important moment in the Supreme Court’s calendar.
“The year 2021 saw some of the most restrictive reproductive rights policies passed by states across the country, not the least of which was the Texas abortion ban, which the Supreme Court allowed to go into effect. The same is true for bills across the nation that make it harder for communities of color to vote. The Supreme Court used to be the last line of defense against laws that harm people and curtail their freedoms, but not today’s Court. Expanded representation on the Court by women and people of color is crucial to reversing this disturbing trend.”
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The Institute for Women’s Policy Research strives to win economic equity for all women and eliminate barriers to their full participation in society. As a leading national think tank, IWPR builds evidence to shape policies that grow women’s power and influence, close inequality gaps, and improve the economic well-being of families. Learn more at IWPR.org and follow us on Twitter.
